delicate in north carolina. ♪ ♪ >> the associated press and other news outlets are reporting that mitt romney will maine congressman paul ryan as his vice-presidential running mate. good morning and welcome to "washington journal," this saturday august 11, 2012. mitt romney is campaigning in milwaukee back in april and the congressman bryant joined him. he will make his announcement this morning around 9:00 eastern time in northern virginia. we would like to hear what you think about this news. representative paul ryan as republican vice-presidential candidate. here are the numbers to call --

you can also find us online - or look for us on facebook. you can send us an e-mail. here is the associated press story -- from norfolk, va. -- republican presidential candidate mitt romney -- has picked paul ryan to be his running mate.

we will look at footage of congressman paul ryan back in april at a town hall in milwaukee campaigning for

candidate mitt romney. [video clip] >> the president likes to think that he can micromanage every bill aspect of our economy from washington. if we just take power and give it to smart technocrats, they can organize and micromanage. better than you can for yourself. take a look at the bailout. i live in janesville and represent ohrid, that's four of the factors we lost since 2008. look at the car dealers who got their dealerships taken away from them in this politically- driven bankruptcy process. cash for clunkers did not work and it does not work when you take that idea and apply it to the rest of the economy. take money from successful businesses and money from

families and send it to washington and then send it back to your favorites. pick winners and losers and what happens with the kind of big government, you end up with corporate welfare and cronyism. you end up with half a billion dollars of loan guarantees for firms like solyndra. we don't want that kind of capitalism. we want to get attaboy businesses so they can succeed. host: that is congressman paul ryan on the campaign trail back in april. we are getting news from the associated press and other sources that mitt romney plans to make an announcement in a couple of hours saying that congressman ryan is his vice- presidential pick. let's hear what you have to say about this. here is a republican from phoenix, good morning. caller: i really like this picture because the democrats and republicans want paul ryan.

the republicans fought for him because he is about the deficit and the democrats want ryan because they want to talk about the social security issue. this is good for america because it brings the big issues into the debate. we can stop talking about small issues. this is a really big issue and that's what i like it. this is the debate that america should have. host: does it increase your support for mitt romney? >> absolutely, mitt romney is not -- not my first choice paul ryan is my first choice. host: here is the associated press with more information --

host: sterling, va., democratic caller, good morning. you are on the air. caller: i think this is just another joke. when i look at mitt romney, i see another ronald reagan. hopefully, we want make the same mistake again. i was a kid at that time but hopefully, obama will get in like a piece of cake. host: an independent is with us

now. caller: how are you? host: do you think about the news? caller: i wanted to know the role that grover norquist played. host: why does that matter to you? caller: its debt and are not going to get any revenue in, they will take away from social security and medicaid. i am 83 years old. i worked all my life. i work in service twice. i don't trust that crowd. that is in with grover norquist. host: we will talk more about

that as the program goes on. let's take a moment and look at mitt romney's overall campaign moments. here is a headline from "the washington post" -- this will publish before mitt romney said he was announcing his vice- presidential pick. we have the national political reporter with a politico. guest: good morning. host: where are you this morning? how surprised were you? guest: i am currently trying to get my luggage onto a bus in a hotel in norfolk where we had thought the morning was going to be calm. instead, we have had very little sleep. people are running around trying to figure out what is going on. people thought it could come today but based on what we heard

from the campaign yesterday on the bus tour, we were on the ground with them yesterday in virginia, we thought it was not coming. we thought they would hold off for another week. reporters were wandering around norfolk at 1:00 this morning. host: added to get the information and how did the news trickled out? there's a website that is up now romneyryan.com. the headline of the web site gives a little bit away. how did this come to pass? guest: we got it in pieces like everyone else. we heard yesterday afternoon that it could happen today. last night, before midnight, we heard from the campaign announcing it would happen today. from there, it was a fight to figure out who it would be.

this probably woke a lot of people up last night. we were trying to piece it together. the campaign was at the event said last night to see a banner. we have been piecing it together the same way everyone else has. host: give us a preview of the bus tour that is to come. guest: the bus tour will remain on track. it will be rolled out for paul ryan. it will be a chance for them to be on the stump together. they are campaigning today in virginia. they have three steps across the state. tomorrow there will be in north carolina and florida. they are going to be blue

places. they are trying to reach out to voters. paul ryan will be able to help them do that is reached out to the middle-class voters, the people who are concerned about the country's finances and when some of those supporters over. host: we heard that many people who were either going to be part of the bus tour -- do we know how this news will shake out for those who wanted the governor of virginia?ech guest: 1 will look at the people he was going to be appearing with in virginia, it looked like a vice-presidential try out. this will be a cheerleading exercise.

surrogates will get up on stage with governor romney. they will say these are the two best guys. anyn't think we will see hurt feelings. it will be the same cast that we expect to see. host: ginger gibson, national reporter at a politico, thanks for talking with us. politico has extensive coverage. they are doing some analysis of what this means. we will be talking about this throughout the morning. we will also go live to norfolk,

va. as mitt romney makes his announcement later this morning. we like to hear what you think. salem, north carolina. caller:hi, i am absolutely thrilled with the pick of paul ryan. the major problem in our country today is economics. paul ryan is a master of economics and that's what we need. i would say to the man in florida who thought he was going to lose his social security and medicare, i and 81. nobody is going to throw their parents or grandparents under the bus. that is just the kind of talk that the democrats are going to try to use. most of americans have more common sense than that.

i am just thrilled. host: a democrat in bristol, virginia. caller: thank you so much. this is my first time calling. i watched your show all the time. this morning, i woke up and i learned that paul ryan is going to be the vice presidential pick. i think that is an awesome idea. i'm a democrat and obama supporter 100%. i think paul ryan banks -- brings big ideas to the debate. this is the time that america needs to address big ideas and have a conversation about social issues. they say the social issues have been a drag on our country so we need to cut back on the social

issues. i am really interested in seeing obama and listening to both sides and how the social issues helped shape america. host: let's go to an independent caller in asheville, north carolina. caller: good morning. this pick by mitt romney, paul ryan, is nothing but a big cave in to the tea party. paul ryan must be up for reelection and cannot get reelected. his one accomplishment in this man's life was a dead on arrival bill. i don't think even that voted on in the senate. it was the paul ryan budget plan. he has never had any thing but worked in think tanks.

he passed himself off as a big economic wizard. this default position is insane -- $4 trillion extra deficit -- is tax reform. he has never given one specific. he talks about loopholes, etc and never given one specific answer in his entire life about what loopholes they would surely close. this is really bad for the republicans. i don't believe mitt romney will really make it. he cannot do one single thing right. everything he has done has been hidden in secret. i believe there are enough decent people and the republican party that they will not stand for such an unlevel playing field. thank you.

host: let's go to a tweet our next caller joins us from cape cod, mass., a republican caller. caller: morning, thank you for cspan. it looks like romney is all in on this one. he is giving the obama campaign a treasure trove of stuff to work on. america now has a clear direction of which way they want to go. they want european socialism to save the country for our grandchildren and future generations.

if the senate goes republican, and add a few more house seats, there are 21 democratic senate seats up for grabs. there are only 10 republican seats in question. the line has been drawn and american now has a clear choice. have a great day. host: let's take a look at more footage of congressman paul ryan from july 29 at a mitt romney rally in wisconsin. [video clip] >> if we stay on the path we're on, nation in debt and doubt and despair and decline, we see a future where our children do not have as good a life as we have, severing the legacy of leaving the next generation better off. it does not have to be that way. all we have to do is take those great principles that built this country, apply it to today and said america. that is what mitt romney is about. he understands what it takes to

create jobs to get the economy growing. the man and the white house -- i rest my case. host: that was a couple of weeks ago. manchester, new jersey is up next on our democrat . what you think about the news? caller: i wonder how many people are aware and approval of rep paul ryan's extreme devotion to the principles of the case -- atheist author ayn rand and her adoration of extreme individualism over anything else as a power of selfish capitalism that leaves strains on their activities. it would be interesting to find out. host: an independent scholar in sumpter, north carolina, good morning. caller: good morning, i ended my

career as a budget estimator in south carolina. i know a little bit about this. paul ryan is a great numbers and policy person. be ready for the brush of scare tactics and rhetoric that will come from the democratic party. keep an open mind and listen to paul ryan. thank you. host: republican in palm desert, calif., we are hearing from republicans that they are happy with this choice, are you? caller: i am very thrilled about it. i want to echo the previous woman's comments that the scare tactics will be like something out of a movie. i just hope that people understand he has got incredible bonafide fiscal policy.

i am thrilled and i hope this conservatives all over will be. i am just really happy with the choice. host: what do you think it means for the mitt romney campaign? what does it bring to his camp that you did not see before? caller: it is a clear definition. i think this is where this election will be fought. it is delineated in a way that is going to be clear to people. it is the path, right or left, and i don't mean that politically, but it will be the path of which way economically the country will be in the future. i could not be more thrilled because this really draws a distinct so i am very happy. thank you for cspan. host: let's look at the press

release from mitt romney. that's an indication from the romney team. that is from than themselves that they have chosen paul ryan as the running mate. tell us what you think about this in due 0 on the republican presidential ticket. we can look at some other stories and editorials and comments in the news. here is an op-ed from "the wall street journal" the couple of days ago --

that is from "the wall street journal"a couple of days ago. this is from our democrats line, good morning. caller: i am so happy that paul ryan is on the ticket and the bank is a gift to obama. we need are medicare and social security. this man is trying to gut all

that out. i am looking forward to when the democrats go to the convention and they will let the american people know what the republicans are trying to do to them. we had wars that were not paid for. obama inherited them as all the other problems. republicans are planning obama for everything. i am so happy that paul ryan is on the ticket. i know now that we will win in 2012, thank you. host: here is the political story -- -- politico story.

let's hear from a republican from whitestone, n.y., good morning. caller: good morning, i don't think it was the wisest thing. i like paul ryan but it would have put him in charge of the budget. i would pick marker rubio because he needs florida and it is a swing state. it would have brought in some hispanics. i would like to make a comment on what the woman just said about obama inheriting all this.

when obama took office, gasoline was $1.84 per gallon. you can go to be -- there is a government site, the bureau of labor and statistics -- when obama took statistic -- took office, he took on a point to 10% in the first year. casses consistently over $4. everything is transported so guess affect oil prices. host: let's go to a tweet - our next caller is an independent in the jury, a good morning. -- in missouri, good morning. caller: good morning, i just

want to comment on the vp pick. i think it is a great pick 4 governor romney. i am tired of people talking as far as scare tactics. the democrats used scarred -- scare tactics and the republicans use them. they talk about leaving our grandkids with debt. somebody left us with debt. that has been going on for years and years. i thank you for taking my call. host: does this change your opinion or vote? a think lost her. we're going to republican in durham, north carolina. good morning. caller: good morning, i am very pleased that paul ryan was chosen. i hope this will change the conversation from things like birth control and all the things

the democrats want to talk about and talk about the serious possibility that our country will be going over a financial cliff must produce something about it. -- unless we do something about it. i am disgusted with the number of democrats who want to say that he is going to gut social security. that is not what he is going to do. this plan is to save it. a democrat that came on here essentially has talked about what they want from the government rather than talking about what this country needs. i am pleased with this choice. host: here is a piece from cnn politics filed early this morning at 4:00.

here is more biographical information from the paul ryan

web page. los angeles, calif., democrats line, good morning. caller: now that the republicans have obama care to talk about, congressman ryan wants to put everybody on a voucher system a comes to health care. wait until your put on a voucher for health care. host: what are you really concerned about?

are you still with us? we will move onto another caller. to an independent in spartanburg, south carolina. caller: good morning. i think this was a fantastic picked by mr. raman. regarding the fellow who was just on the line about the vouchers, he is worried about them, what he really should be poured about -- what he really should be worried about this when he breaks his leg and obama care does not work because there is not enough doctors. i agree that we should never have gotten involved in the wars. at least we know where the trillions of dollars went. we have no idea where obama

spent monday. thank you. host: dallas, texas, republican, good morning. caller: good morning, there were talking about marco rubio initially. he had a great stance on immigration reform. this election is about the budget. i think it is a great pick 4 mitt romney. it is to get the country back on track. host: let's look at a depuyt -- tweet - take look at more footage

from president obama at the house gop conference back in january of 2010. congressman bryant asked him a question about his federal budget proposal. [video clip] >> this set spending bills that you have signed into law that increased spending by 84%. this means that total spending in your budget would grow at 3/1 hundred of 1% otherwise. i would submit that we could do more to start now. you say you want to take a scalpel through the budget and we want to give you that scalpel. i have a proposal with my home state senator russ feingold to create a constitutional version of the line item veto. [applause] the problem is, we cannot get a vote on the proposal.

why not start taking care spending now and would you support a line item veto and getting a vote on in the house? i want to push back on the underlying premise. i talked to peter ord said right before i came here because i suspected i would be hearing this argument. most of the increases in this year's budget, this past year's budget, were not as a consequence of policies we initiated but instead were built and as a consequence of the automatic stabilizers that kick in because of this enormous recession. the increase in the budget for this past year was actually predicted before i was sworn into office.

whoever was in there, paul, and i don't think you'll dispute that, whoever was in there would have seen the same increases because on the one hand, a huge drop in revenue, but at the same time, people were hurting and needed help. a lot of these things happen automatically. president obama in an exchange with congressman ryan back in january. we pull back from the cspan video archives and you can look it all of paul ryan pus appearances by checking out our video library. he has over 380 appearances on cspan networks. since being elected to congress in 1998. he was also here on "washington journal." go to c-span.org and look at the video library. let's go to wisconsin, a

democrat. are you calling from janesville? caller: i am 60 miles from janesville. that's where i do all my major shopping so i'm quite familiar with rep ryan. it is a really big deal. one of the early callers mentioned ayn rand. and the background she played in mr. ryan's development. i wish that cspan would bring in some good people to discuss this issue. recently, i understand he has disavowed allegiance to her principles. it is a clear distinction.

in wisconsin, what we have gone through with their governor and the radicalization, the advent of the power of the group from allertton and how they have bought legislation and the various issues -- there are heavy-duty issues being pushed in congress and all the state houses. there's a lot more to this election than meets the eye. it is a distinction between a little bit left or right of center or the radicalization of the far right by the tea party. it is interesting. host: what is janesville like? caller:janesville lost a lot of

gm production facilities. it disrupted people. the people commuting from here terre haute in order to maintain their jobs, a lady lives right up the street is in that group. there is a difficulty instability here. -- of stability here. i'm a native chicago board and living in wisconsin is interesting. there is a clear distinction between the politics here. host: after the failed recall attempt of governor scott

walker, help mobilize to do you think democrats like yourself or republicans are to get out and vote this year? caller: it will be fierce. one of the things -- the charts they have shown on msnbc, the amount of clout the republican party as throughout their various groups, i think there may be eight of them, there is maybe on the other side of the aisle, there is maybe two union groups. what they have done here in wisconsin is to kneecapping organized people. the scott walker situation really turned on people. i was in madison, wisconsin in the snow and cold and it was phenomenal the amount of people who came out and were so upset

with the radicalization of our government here in the state of wisconsin. it was unbelievable. this thing with host: we heard your comments on that and we will look onto -- into that. here is where janesville, wisconsin is located. it is the birthplace of congressman paul ryan. let's take a look at what people downloaded thepp are seeing this morning.

we will be seeing mitt romney announced this himself this morning in just about one hour and a half in norfolk, virginia. we expect to see the congressman by his side at the announcement in virginia and a little while. if you like to join the conversation, and here are the numbers -- we will hear from some reporters who cover the campaign and congressman ryan and here with you have to say about this news throughout the north -- morning. we have a republican caller next caller: how're you today? i am excited about mr. ryan. he was a breath of truth after all the lies we have been hearing and the demonization of everybody from the supreme court down.

the great philosopher said without truth, there is only manipulation. i believe that manipulation is that we have anow true opportunity to make a great truth decision. in this election. host: our next caller is independent from oceanside, california. caller: good morning, you always make my monday morning a little less hard. host: what do you have to say about his vice-presidential news? caller: i have to ask this question -- i want to know just exactly what are paul ryan's qualifications as a businessman? at the same time, is a different question, what exactly are his

qualifications as an economist? host: tell me about why those are important? caller: he pretends to know everything about the economy. clearly, it is questionable. he seemed to know everything about business. clearly questionable. host: all right, thank you for your call. we will continue to take calls and now lives go to the associate editor of "the hill;." guest: good morning. host: how did you get the news? guest: we confronted with a source last night. i also got my official medication through the app this morning.

-- official notification through the app this morning. host: what do you think about the role of technology with younger people? guest: i think it works for a lot of people. this is not the first time the romney campaign broke its news on social media. when he announced his presidential bid officially, he did it on his twitter and facebook page. host: what does this pick mean for the mitt romney campaign? what does congressman ryan add to the ticket that mitt romney wanted to bring? guest: he is a young rising star in the gop. the right is very fond of him. early in the primary process, there were questions about mitt romney. this will help them. it will help get the boat out. -- it will help get the vote out.

paul ryan fits a model. he is a young, smart, clean-cut young man, the type of guy that mitt romney would have hired at bain capital. host: as we dig into the archives of paul ryan plus time in congress, he talks about issues like medicare and social security. how did those things like out? guest: democrats will make that a huge issue. there was a special house election in new york. it was a republican-leaning seat. president obama has repeatedly hammered the gop budget of paul ryan. host:

appeal to most? birtwhistle -- will this be appealed to the swing states? does it make a difference among other populations that are crucial in the swing states? guest: wisconsin is a swing state and obama is averaging about five points ahead of vote -- that of mitt romney right now. the midwesthows slant to the mitt romney campaign. this is the best way to get to those electoral votes. the southwest tends to be dominated by white collar workers and the midwest is dominated by blue-collar voters. mitt romney will focus on the midwest and try to focus on the blue-collar voters. host: what you will you be watching over the next week as

mitt romney heads out on his bus tour? anything our audience should keep an eye out for? anything that will be an indicator as to how this is going over? guest: first impressions are everything. we will ask what the first paul ryan speech will be about. we have already seen on this tour the names that were on the list. we will start to see some unity. host: thank you for joining us. let's look of a story from nbc --

let's go to crofton, maryland, a democratic caller. caller: are you this morning? i am excited that mitt romney picked paul ryan. it adds to the list of things the republicans are going so right. paul ryan was around when the iraq war and that discussion and anybody that botha for the iraq war have the ability to beat the

president't. paul ryan was instrumental in pulling that hoax on america. all these guys called and and i'm upset when they talk about the democrats turning america into a socialist state. paul ryan was instrumental in labeling by speaker of the house, nancy pelosi, as a socialist. this should not be spreading that type of rumor. when i see paul ryan, i don't see a patriot. i see a fascist. they are taking us so far to the right. in wisconsin, they just have that shooting. there are people up there who are trying to kill cops and things and paul ryan would be a good cheerleader for that kind of thing. host: you're making a

correlation between the congressman and acts of violence? caller: a just give you a couple of examples. the iraq war was unjust and illegal. host: there was a memorial yesterday for the people were killed, murdered and the sikh temple in wisconsin. the governor of this -- wisconsin was there an mitt romney's son was there. let's go to a republican caller in florida. caller: good morning. greetings from florida. host: what you think about this picture? caller: i like to keep my mind open. i would like to know a little bit more about his personal background, family, that type of

thing. i would like to vote for a person overall, not just his record, what's going on right now, but background. that is actually what makes us, our background and her family and education and i don't know what his military views are. i want to get some more information. it is just too soon. that previous caller said first impressions count. that is very, very true. in the next few days when he speaks, people will be looking to see his mannerism and how he answers questions and so forth. sometimes, that forms your opinion. host: thank you so much for your call. more about the candidate and finding out more about his background and experience --

a politico took a look at his medicare plan. they posted this story overnight.

here is another detail the plan --

we can take a look at those details of the morning goes on but we would like to hear more -- from you about what to think of paul ryan as the bed -- vice- presidential pick on republican ticket. let's go to our independence . caller: i want to know if the monster family will vote for their son eddie. host: let's take a look at congressman ryan. this is when he was on our program, on "washington journal" on april 21. we estimate about his support for the massachusetts health care law.

[video clip] >> i am not a fan of the system. i got some relatives in massachusetts. my uncle is a cardiologists in boston and i talked to people up there. koss is getting out of control and premiums are increasing in massachusetts and other is a bureaucracy. they have rationing on the system. people in massachusetts are saying we have virtual universal health care but they see the system bursting at the seams. basie premium increases, rationing in benefit cuts. they are frustrated with this system. they don't want to pay for another system on top of their own. they see have this idea of having the government be the single regulator of health insurance and the individual mandate as a fatal conceit. this is unsustainable. host: that is congressman ryan

right here on "washington journal" back on april 21, 2010 speaking with us. he was talking about his support for the massachusetts health care law. you can learn more about that at the cspan video library with over 380 clips from paul ryan's time in washington. the republican in port charlotte, fla.,. caller: good morning, thanks for taking my call. i think paul ryan is an excellent pick. he can particulate conservatism very well as well as explant economic issues and how the economy works. he is an excellent pet. pick. you have a caller from maryland who linked ryan to the shooting in wisconsin. the current president of the

united states is from chicago. he has made that the capital of united states. host: here is a depuyt from ari fleischer - that is already fleisher trading in his comments. -- tweeting in his comments. modesto, calif., mike is a democrat, good morning. caller: i don't know how it will

work out to have someone in their sharper than mommy. romney. christie and rubio and jindal are more well known republicans. they did not want to be on this ticket. noem had the you know whats run for president because they did not want to lose. one of those might have had an excellent chance to win but they did not want to go for it right now and probably lose. to reference ann coulter, one of the greatest things she ever said is a much more attractive the conservative spokespersons are than the ones on the left.

host: our caller talked about other men and women were being vetted for the vice-presidential slot. this is from "the wall street journal" yester day -- this came up before we learn that congressman ryan was the vp pick. you can see the number of men and women being considered for this job. one of them was congressman ryan. she looks of the different candidates and who would be considered. it looks like the gop was on two different paths.

susan on our independent line. caller: thank you for c-span. my comment about the mitt romney-paul ryan ticket, it is very scary to me. i feel paul ryan is a tea party puppet, and mitt romney is a mormon. i'm very concerned about this ticket. i have had 30-some years in government, and i have always felt better when the democratic party is in an office because they take care of the people. the republican party has really disappointed me this past 3.5

years. they did not work with mr. obama, and i do not like people that do not work with each other regardless of their political party. with comments made previously, -- about no doctors, i believe you have a program recently where the american medical college was on city mayor -- saying they are including a lot of doctors, and i believe that is so because of my kids are going into the health-care field, and i think we have enough doctors. things will go ok. i am just very scared about this ticket. i'm very scared. i appreciate that you let me have this state. thank you. host: you can join the

conversation and have your say we are devoting the conversation this morning to news that mitt romney has chosen congressman ryan as his running mate. governor bob mcdonnell said this -- join the winning ticket. mitt romney and paul ryan today at stops in virginia. john mccain plans to be in -- he plans to begin norfolk. let's take a look at this coverage of the bus tour. it starts with stops in virginia. they will go to other places as well. we will be watching to see if the trajectory changes now that

congressman ryan is planning to come on board. we will see where they had as they leave virginia. there are 16 days until the republican national convention, 24 days until the democratic national convention in 87 days until election day. governor mcdonnell will be joining governor romney inn. they will go -- norfolk. it they will go aboard the uss wisconsin to make an announcement on paul ryan as the vp candidate. fox news radio speculated that there could be iran re--paul ryan ticket, and he gives -- a mitt romney-paul ryan ticket, and he gives the pros and cons.

it's as the upside of a paul ryan selection means the fiscal and economic issues have bedeviled washington for more than four years with every conversation around spending, the government shut down, the debt ceiling, the explosion of entitlements, and now the pending sequestered. there is no figure that has been so central to all of these issues as paul ryan. in terms of what democrats are looking for, democrats will fall all over themselves to make the ryan budget the marquee issue. they believe that their narrative is republicans are tellus and a loose to the nation's problems.

this could significantly bolster the democrats is -- democrats chance of holding the senate and taking the house. these are some of the views expressed about what this will mean for republicans, democrats in campaign 2012. let's go to craig gilbert, who joins us by phone to talk about all we are looking at today. good morning. are you with us? guest: yes, can you hear me? host: we can. tell us about your reaction to this news. guest: there was a dramatic buildup of speculation particularly with a lobbying campaign with conservatives on paul ryan's behalf. he was out there for all to see. i think it was a surprise for some people in the end that mitt romney went this way because paul ryan is generally seen as a

high-risk/high-reward choice. he has real political skills, but he has liabilities in the sense that a lot of people think the ryan budget poses political dangers to the party. >> we're talking to greg gilbert. we're getting a across the down the phone line. bear with us. how significant is this news in your home state of wisconsin? guest: it is dramatic. wisconsin has been through an epic political career, starting with the historic recall fight we had over the governor. when you look at governor walker and paul ryan, i wrote a piece last year talking about the two of them and the impact they were having nationally on the republican party and one progressive analyst i spoke to

describe them as a shock and all politicians -- awe politicians in the sense that they've redefined what was in the realm of political possibilities for their problems. they are aggressive, lightning rods, loved by the right, aided by the left, so this is a dramatic development in the world of wisconsin politics. host: we will hang the pioneer, and try to get you back with a clearer wind. thank you for talking with us. it is a very busy morning for wisconsin reporters as they deal with this news in field requests from media all around the world as to what it means to have their local congressman become the republican vice-presidential nominee. nashua, new hampshire, louise is a democrat. caller: we now have two

corporate poster boys. paul ryan greatly admired ayn rand who believe corporations were the upper class, the power structure and weak, the workers, were to be used by this corporate power. before there was a national debt and we have this recession, small-government republicans like paul ryan endorsed privatizing social security and medicare. eventually, they will privatize all government programs. later on, when the corporations are run in most services, we, the american middle class will pay through the nose. careful, republicans, getting what you wish for. host: frank in north carolina is a republican caller. caller: this is a wonderful selection. i see between 30 and 40 medicare

patients. host: your a doctor? caller: i am a physician's assistant. there's no way to get a handle. they spoke -- earlier a woman talked about how democrats take care of them when they are in office. that is the problem. we need to take care of ourselves. people fail to understand that with obama-care, the affordable care act, $500 billion are taken away from seniors. high-end no idea why people are putting their faith in government -- i have no idea why people are putting their faith in government and not in the private sector. people need to understand the nominal wages of health care. i could see patients all day long to make more money, but it is driving the country into

bankruptcy. i think paul ryan selection was are outstanding and it will galvanize many people. they will probably wind four more states. host: we're looking at this piece.ico"

host: athens, georgia. jimmy, democratic caller. democratic not a caller. i am an independent scholar. host: my mistake, go ahead. caller: i am pleased paul ryan was paid and i believe we have to do all excellent candidates in mitt romney and barack obama, and whoever wins our country will improve. host: why do you think that? caller: obama has done a good job as president, but i think

mitt romney has done an excellent job in his career and would probably be a better president, but as of now i and guts her that i want a change -- as of now, i am not so sure that i want a change. . host: what do you think this will mean for voters in your home town in georgia? caller: the tea party is strong here in georgia and that will help mitt romney. i do not think mitt romney has much of the -- i did not think barack obama has a chance here. to craig's get back gilbert. to let for bearing with us. loud and clear, you sound great. you were talking about what this means in wisconsin. do you think this will be a game changer in terms of wisconsin as a swing state?

guest: it could boost mitt romney. historically, these things tend to be marginal, but in terms of paul ryan the calculus is complicated. he is not a statewide official even though he has a national profile. he represents one congressional district in southern wisconsin. his name recognition has risen. there has been choline suggesting that he would boost prospects in wisconsin, but it is if. wisconsin is a state where president obama has consistently led. i think it is a little bit of a reach to suggest that he is automatically going to change the landscape in wisconsin or any other midwestern battleground, but it could certainly help a little bit. host: one caller said she wanted

to know more about paul ryan's personal history. his biography is meaningful, talking about the high school he graduated -- minimal, talking about a high-school graduate from, his degree in economics, and his three children. can you talk more about his biography and you expect the romney campaign to roll all more personal stories? guest: he comes from the big -- a big, catholic family. he went to miami of ohio, and was interested in economics. he did not come from a political family but was interested in economics and he was influenced by ayn rand and milton friedman in the austrian school of economists, and he went off to washington at an early age to work for jack kemp, and at the

age of 28 ran for congress with no political experience and he won. he has proven to be an adept politician representing a district that leans republican but is not overwhelmingly republican, and turned down several opportunities to run for state wide office which were probably there for the taking. host: he has turned down other national platforms as well. were you surprised to hear that he is accepting the v.p. spot? guest: he is always downplayed personal ambitions, declined running for president, and liking his role in the house where he enjoys huge influence, but i think when you are called by the nominee, most people say yes. host: craig gilbert, if you could share anything else with

us about how paul ryan is received in wisconsin, we see in tweets and calls that paul ryan is thought to be a good pick by republicans, and also democrats who are opposed to his medicare plan. how much a lightning rod is he at home? guest: i have to leave after this one, but on a personal level he is quite well, but he is absolutely a lightning rod in terms of his policies. he is an interesting combination of someone with political skills and very pronounced policy views. that is why you see this reaction where you have some people on both the right and left happy to see him pick because conservatives welcomed him with open arms, and some democrats think this is just bad

politics for mitt romney. host: craig gilbert, thank you for your time, washington bureau chief of the "milwaukee journal sentinel." the next call. what do you think of the news next -- been news? caller: i think he is a good pick. i want to know his views. i know wisconsin had a problem with bargaining rights with state and government employees, and i am concerned with that. i'll understand that he had business -- i understand that he had business with steelworkers. i would like to know his views on that if you could highlight some of that stuff. host: here is a tweet from

robert, romney-paul ryan will end medicare as we know it. here is a story and "huffington post" that says the military -- the vp pick needs military experience. speaking at the young america foundation's national conservative student conference last week, representative alan west of florida said military experiences the most important trichet the reaper -- presumptive -- presumptive nominee must have. he says for the first time in 77 years there is a possibility that neither the sitting president or vice president or the candidates for president or vice president have served in the military. that concerns me. he based the comments on what he sees as mitt romney's need to fill the hole in his own resume

with a running mate. so, congressman west calling for someone with military experience, and he said it is the first time in 77 years where the the the president, nor the vice president, nor the leading contenders have been its -- military experience. rose, a democrat, memphis tennessee. -- memphis, tennessee. caller: i guess paul ryan is exactly what i would have expected mitt romney to do because the radical right wing of his party has been clamoring for this, in he has to do what they say. i just feel that the 99% if they want to hand it all to the 1%, go ahead and get him in there, but one thing that was not challenged, chicago had a ban on

handguns, and it has nothing to do with president obama. i think i heard the supreme court might rule that out, but anyway, i wanted to challenge that. we need to get president obama in there so he can finish his job and get a democratic congress and senate to back him up. host: do you think this announcement will encourage more democrats to come out and vote? i think rose hong up. let's go to a tweet. obama can hammer the ryan budget all they want because democrats can pass any budget. host: baron, chesterfield. unfolde sudden news will in your state. -- it looks like the news will unfold in your state. we expect to see mitt romney and

congressman ryan in norfolk, virginia. caller: i actually do my homework on these comments when they run, and mr. paul ryan looks very adamant about changing medicare, and i am concerned because my mom is on medicare that this time. she can barely afford to pay her rent. she is single. my brothers and i held her pay her -- help her pay her rent. i do not understand how one would expect a senior to pay for medicare when most of her medicine is $100, two hundred dollars, $300 at a time. for me, that is not very realistic. president obama has been in office, and i think politicians have to start doing a better job

working with each other and working together with democrats, republicans in the independents. it seems like he is a tea party guy, and they show very little interest in working with each other. until we have more of a general consensus, in washington, d.c., being someone that is only an hour and half from there, i just do not see that changing in the next 10-to-15 years until they get very serious about working together in doing what is best for the country in general. host: let's go to a tweet. romney-ryan means no moderates needed next is john, texas, a republican. caller: thank you for having me on. i just wanted to make the point that i think mitt romney is

doubling down on the economy. he could have gone with someone like condoleezza rice and focused on foreign policy or women's issues, but what he is doing it is staying -- saying he thinks the housing market will stay dead, the price of gas will go up, which it stay bad, the price of gas will go -- state bad, the price of gas will go up, and he is using the pick of a good-looking, in shape candidate. women find him good looking because he is in good shape and has good hair. what do you think? you mentioned central casting earlier. i want to know your take on that. host: i was quoting an article that talks about his qualities.

we are asking you what you think. this is what caerleon minnesota has to say by e-mail -- the selection of paul ryan could not be better as we now have a clear definition of the two visions for americans. we can decide what role we want to go. medicare to continue and greater prosperity for the middle class? grit pick. can't way which way to see america wants to go. -- can't wait to see which way america wants to go. here's another tweet. as a less-leaning voters, democrats should be worried about paul ryan. the obama team needs a serious long-term plan for the economy and the debt. let's go to wisconsin. tony, democrats line. the morning. what do you think? caller: i have two or three

opinions. i do not care for paul ryan. if he is running, i would not vote for raw meat. i vote for different candidates, and that always get a direct answer, from book -- but from paul ryan i just got a form letters l i know he did not know what questions i was asking. -- letter, so i know he did not know what questions i was asking. also, with the medicare deal, i would like to know how much taxpayer money goes into paying their expenses, and they are wealthier than we are. we have to pay 20% of everything. i have to pay a, b, c, indeed to get my medical, and i will get the same amount of social security my mother did 30 years

ago. i do not how they expect older citizens to live even though we weren't 34 which we worked 34 and 36 years of our life. host: tim, and independent caller from los angeles. caller: our son is in iraq. we are getting another product of this. they will have lost in iran. the latest news out of israel is israel is going to attack air around before the election and nickel, look like an idiot and neo-republicans will be all for that. -- and make obama look like an idiot, and neo-republicans will be all for that. host: i referred to the covers the west -- congressman west

asking for someone to have military experience pointing out that this is the first time in 77 years where nobody running has served in the military, but it points out neither side, democrat or republican have that as they talk about personal experiences and -- and their personal stories. a tweet -- as a democrat, i could not wake up to better news. sharon joins us. turn down your television for us. a kit. we have to go to our next caller. wes, spartanburg, south carolina. caller: a lot of republicans are thinking somehow the democrats or the least obama is going to

start attacking paul ryan, and i think it would be the worst thing they could do. basically, he should stand and his own and defend his ideas. i am not sure how well they work for america. one said the one caller said one is credentialed -- one caller said one is credentialed as a economist,, but i do not know what the qualifications are for president. if i was a democrat, i would basically just give everyone a coupons. i would go to every event and hand them a coupon for the health care and see how that works. host: sean sullivan and "the washington post" asks who is paul ryan and give some answers. as we talked about before, he is a native of janesville, wisconsin.

host: of the of the biographical information. johnny with this tweet -- it is a safe act, paul ryan has a more traditional gop agenda. ok, tea party, mitt romney has shunned you. let's get to middletown, new jersey, joe, independent line. hi, joe. caller: i think the paul ryan pick is a decent selection. i would have preferred marco rubio, but i am surprised that some of the people that are calling. the democratic line, i am listening to these people, they do not listen to how they sound. they sound so emotional and hysterical about the selection, and they do not realize the country is going off the cliff. we are paid out so much money that we cannot continue to pay out.

50% of the people are collecting money from the government. days sincet been 30 you called c-span? caller: i have not called in two years. host: what prompted you to call? caller: i am listening to the show, it always gets me. i live in jersey, i worked in new york, and it always gets me. most people that are democrats will continue to vote democrat. they will never vote republican. they just had a thing in new york where they say the city is that their constitutional level for taxation. that is how over-taxed there are. they have no clue s to taxes and the amount of money being paid for their stuff -- s to texas, and the amount of money being paid for their stuff.

host: thank you. we have this tweet. is mitt romney saying paul ryan is ready to be president when paul ryan is as green as sarah palin? sadly sarah palin was a governor. let's look -- at least sarah palin was a governor. let's look at an exchange with paul ryan and timothy geithner in february, 2012. [video clip] >> what is frustrating is your rhetoric never matches your action. >> i do not think that is fair. >> you are showing us a plan to add complexity to the tax rate. >> the burden is -- >> this is your fourth one. >> what we said here is what we have to do as part of a balanced plan to do this in a fair way. what we propose to do in this

context is too modest -- modestly increase the effective tax rate on the top 2%. >> the top rate goes to 44.8%. >> not the top marginal rate. >> assume for the sake of argument that i am right, and this has been fact-checked for a million times. i know. exactly. you are raising marginal tax rates. in wisconsin, nine out of 10 individuals file at -- for fiat -- corporations file as individuals. >> we will only raise them if you agree to raise them. >> the things you say you are not putting in your budget, this is the fourth budget where we hear about talk about coming together and we do not see those proposals in black and white in your budget.

host: secretary timothy geithner at a budget hearing with paul ryan in february, 2012. we got that from the c-span archives giving you a sense of the exchange between those gentleman a few months ago lafayette, indiana, the gallery -- months ago. lot yet indiana, valerie. the morning? let's go on to joshua. is this valerie? caller: hi. i want to encourage the democrats to really get out and vote in this election because the republican ticket was already spooky, but it is really spooky now. i do not believe that either one of these men have very much interest in helping the regular, everyday person.

-a nurse that works in a community clinic. we already have enough doctors and regular clinics that will live except our patience because of the medicare/medicaid, and these four people cannot get help as it is -- poor people cannot get help as it is apparent this plan will get worse if they get in. -- as it is. this plan will get worse if they get in. if you care by your fellow man, you have to vote democrat. the republicans talk about religion. that is a facade. that is a false look. god has nothing to do with the evil they want to put upon regular people. it is not fair. democrats, we have to get out and vote president obama back in. thank you. host: stellats -- stella tweet

s come up paul ryan is not afraid. caller: i was disappointed with the paul ryan nomination, reason being he does not add anything to the ticket. any vote that paul ryan would bring to the table, mitt romney already had for sure. i think someone like marco rubio would have brought more to the table because he is from florida and would bring in a latino vote, which is usually more moderate-to-liberal, and without a more moderate candidate, i just do not think there is any chance the republican party can secure the presidential ticket. host: let's hear from pittsburgh. francis, independent line. caller: hello. i think representative paul ryan is a big pick -- rate paid to

get swing voters on the paul ryan region on the mitt romney team. unfortunately, it will not work because we still have a choice between two evils. essentially, we are all host. good luck, america. host: this tweet -- the vp pick will not move to independence, he wants to cut entitlements and not the bloated military budget. we are asking you what you think about paul ryan becoming the vice-presidential pick. mitt romney plans to announce this in person today. in a little while we will go to norfolk, virginia, live to hear that, but we have had official confirmation from the romney campaign and the app the campaign encouraged voters to download. that confirmed a little while

ago this morning that romney has chosen his vp pick. sue, a democrat in illinois. caller: i am glad that he finally made a decision on vice- president, and we are happy that he made paul ryan. that is one more thing the american people can see of the radicalism in the republican party. thank you. host: norfolk, virginia, where the romney campaign is gathering to announce the news shortly that congressman paul ryan is the pick to be on the republican ticket. you can see footage of folks getting the crowd warm up. mitt romney should be out shortly. let's get to another news story to talk more about what this means for both republicans and democrats, how people are

reacting, and what the indications are on people's opinions in the election. here is what michael crowley writes in the "time magazine ."

host: lincoln, neb., johnston is a republican. -- justin is a republican. caller: thank you. i love the pack. host: i think we lost the cell phone connection. lawrence, independent from florida. caller: i used to beat a republican and after studying some economic issues, -- used to be a republican, and after studying the economic issues, i look at the takeover by neo- conservatives and people like paul ryan who is an ideologue.

i'm very leery of supporting this ticket. host: what does that mean? will you hear more as the campaign evolves, where are you making your decision today? caller: i am not making a decision today, but i cannot support what the republicans have turned into, as i think they have been taken over by corporations that have so much power and influence on both sides of the aisle, but predominantly by people like paul ryan who come from an ideological standpoint and do not understand the basis of being conservative, which is really being pragmatic and not an ideologue. this is what we see in our congress, especially with the tea party. i understand the outrage because the budget and the issues this country faces, we really have to deal with this, but we need to

do this in a bipartisan, thoughtful, pragmatic and practical way. host: paul has a facebook comment and he says although they make a good team, it is not enough. i fear obama will be reelected. the country needs a political team that will change what has been established. neither mitt romney or obama will do that. chris tweets what's remarkable is no one has foreign policy experience. think about it let's look back again at footage from congressman ryan -- think about it. let's look back again to add footage from congressman ryan at a rally in wisconsin. [video clip] >> we see if we continue on the path in a nation in debt, decline, a future where children have a lower living standard

than we have, stifling a legacy of lead in the next generation better off. it is not have to be that way. all we have to do is take the principles that built this country, made it so great, apply it today, in save america. that is what mitt romney is about. he understands what it takes to get the economy growing. the man in the white house -- i rest my case. host: congressman ryan speaking a few minutes ago at a mitt romney rally. he will now join the republican ticket. we want to know what you think about that this morning. linthicum democratic caller, tennessee. -- linda, democratic caller, tennessee. caller: -tickled. the jobs will come back, and the budget will get under control. i intend to vote for him.

host: does this change your opinion? were you planning to vote democratic? caller: i was going to watch to see what is going on, but i am tickled that he has paul ryan. if obama gets in there again, lord have mercy on us. host: frank, you are on "washington journal." caller: i am on. i am and 80-year-old republican and i am glad that we finally picked somebody with brains to make a budget, and we do not have somebody like who is in there right now because this poor country is going down the drain if we keep obama in his bunch in. host: here is a tweet, anyone

thinking biden will debate paul ryan well? we'll be looking for news as we get closer to election day about the debates scheduled for the vice presidency. the next caller is from fort washington, maryland. independent line. caller: good morning. let me have some of the dawn awful, -- got awful, poor, woe is me people. i want to help my people that are always at the bottom of the wrong. host: ok. you're making an appeal. caller: black people are always left out, always scrounging at the bottom of the line. i wanted to get their house in order, get food in their homes,

prepare themselves to keep $100 in a drawer because barack obama has done absolutely nothing for them, so we need to do something else for this country. if they split it down the middle between the have and have-nots, my people will suffer. when they divide the country, we do not want to think about why we need independents, why we need the people to help us through this process. coming together is one thing, but actually doing it is another. you cannot do anything without the rich. they contribute to charities. they help us with the clinics. they help us with the welfare programs that independent organizations are taking up. seriously, libby, when we going to do when this thing really falls down? my people, as usual, just like with unemployment and everything else will be left at the bottom and not realize anything about it. i want to put something on about

the black pastors. they are upset with obama with respect to marriage with regard to days. i have no problem with that. it is the word marriage. it is just a word. words mean something. let's try to come together, be fair to black pastors and black america because for whatever reasons they are the ones that suffer always. nobody helps them, nobody teaches them how to do budgets and checkbooks. nobody teaches them how to help their children move forward, pull your pants up, stop getting pregnant, planned parenthood, people do some research because eugenics is real and it is coming your way. my father-in-law in needs an operation and they're telling him know already. he is 72. we will end up in a wheelchair because they do not want to spend the money. host: let's go to a facebook

comment from paula. she writes mitt romney is pandering to the tea party wing, this is what this is about. mainstream media, do your job been properly vet this man and not act like a cheerleader as they did with sarah palin. host: hampton, virginia. roy is a democrat. caller: hello. i was a republican for many years, in with paul ryan, that is just pacifying the tea party, so that mitt romney can try to get elected -- elected, and hopefully he will not. i think that he is radical just like the rest of them with a tea party on the right. it is just, you know, too much pain. too much pain. i mean, if you could get a good

salary to live today where you have to pay your own medical and everything, and you pay $4 a gallon for gas, and everything else is going up, you know, it is just dead. -- bad. they got to go with the people that are compassionate, and the people on the writer not compassionate. we are all on this planet, spinning around the universe, and, you know, you have to take care of people. it cannot throw them to the side and say you have to get a job, go to work, and you make $9, $10 an hour, and what is that doing? that is paying for your guests to get to work. i mean, it is just terrible. host: roy was joined us from hampton, virginia. we will be going to norfolk,

virginia, to look to this event were mitt romney plans to officially announce paul ryan? his -- paul ryan as his vp pick. you can see a live shot of the crowd. paul ryan tweeted just a while ago, sharing his take on this. the twitter handle it is representative paul ryan, and he said he is pleased to join america's comeback team. baltimore, maryland. mark, repuican. caller: good morning. i think paul ryan would be a poor choice for mitt romney because he is too close to what used to be called the third rail of american politics, which is social security and medicare. paul ryan has already proposed

doing away with or phasing out medicare. i think he is going to alienate a lot of senior citizens. i am a conservative republican. he has already alienated me. i think paul ryan does come too far from the right. mitt romney has been successful so far because he has been a moderate republican, something we have not seen in a few decades. host: cell, where does this leave you? it looks like a done deal. we see official tweets and around the campaign had a press release. if you're not happy, where does it leave you? caller: i wish it could leave me with a candidate like buddy roemer from louisiana, but it does not. it makes me want to go ahead and vote for reelecting barack obama. if i were an aide to mitt romney

i would run out on stage and say please do not pick paul ryan. pick someone that is a moderate. that would complement mitt romney much better. i think the fact that both mitt romney and his father, for that matter, were both moderate republicans, that is something the republican party needs. host: a comment on facebook from otis. ryan would surely be a better debater than romney. you can join the conversation by the to foresees the end of the facebook page. gibraltar, michigan. elaine. caller: the calls are very interesting this morning. paul ryan works for corporations. the republicans are hiding their agenda of moving this country towards a plutocracy where corporations make the laws, and i'm amazed the republicans with a man who called in earlier note

from new jersey, he has been pulled into a tax debate where corporations, not taxes, are taking most of the money out of his pocket. we are already seeing that corporations are people, and they're not interested in americans, they are global. it will make profits across the world. people have to start looking at the basic ideologies of these parties, and there is no room for the middle class in the conservative, republican party. thank you very much. host: roberto, independent college in raleigh, north carolina. -- independent collar in raleigh, north carolina. caller: i want to remind everyone in reference to history. we have for the of the history of how this nation was built. now, they want the right section of our politicians to go back to

those principles, but they have not educated or reminded the people of the history. let's go back to the history of medicare in social security. why were they established? why were civil rights established? what progress have we made after those movements? you can see that we have gone down the drain. we solve the problem at the moment, but for the future, there is no plan. we solve this issue, and that is it. for example, i am a minority in terms of race. i'm a minority in terms of being hispanic. i am a minority in terms of being an immigrant, even though i may u.s. citizen. with that data, you can determine where i'm from, but the important thing is let's look of the historic section 36

of the tax code. what did that due to the economy when it was eliminated in the 1980's and effective degree majority of our society? we are forgetting history. let's look at history and see what these people have to offer in order for us to determine who is the best candidate to really solve where we are going to, because it is not just the status quo. we have to make reforms in all general areas. i look at education from the 1970's, on the education has gone down the drain. jobs, going abroad. it does not matter who did it. the basic -- the basis of the private sector is work, and from that work, citizens can contribute to better in the quality of life for the whole society. host: we are taking a look at live images from norfolk,

virginia, where mitt romney will be on the stage announcing that paul ryan will be on the ticket. they will be the team that republicans can choose to vote for, america can choose to vote for as they go to the polls in the fall. we will take you to that event life as it gets under way, but you can see an image there of the crowd gathering. we have some expert -- experts from paul ryan's remarks. there is no embargo on this. he plans to say that he is committed in mind and heart to putting his experience as a member of congress to work in a run the administration. congressman ryan is expected to say it is a crucial moment in the nation and it is vital to pick the man that will lead america back to prosperity and greatest.

so, talking about the candidates in the contrast to the obama administration, and we anticipate he will say he represents part of america that includes inner-city is, rural areas, suburbs and factory towns, and over the years he is heard and seen from those families running small businesses and people in need and he has heard troubling information lately from those people -- something different in their voices and words -- diminished dreams, lower expectations, and uncertain futures. we will have to norfolk in a few minutes to see what mitt romney has to say. george, a republican, what do you think of the news? caller: i loved it. i worked hard all of my life. i had two brain surgeries. i'm on disability right now. i am and government help. i am kind of embarrassed to say

-- i am on government help. i am kind of embarrassed to say i want the government to be cut back. even if i get cut back, to bed. my dad was a bomber pilot in the second world war. we need to chip in. if the american people against their work ethic back and decide they will work hard for themselves -- i'm sick and tired of everybody going on welfare. it seems like a disease. it seems like the flu or something, spreading across america for the last 10 or 15 years, where everybody is sucking off of the government welfare system, and it is just getting worse and worse, and america is just dissolving. i am so happy that paul ryan is back in, and he will have a chance to bring the work ethic back, get rid of all of the

handouts and the freebies, and gets america working again. we will have purpose and we will give to the needy. we will help the needy. we will do what needs to be done to get this country going and working again. host: a tweet from lee. mitt romney lose his florida due to picking paul ryan. that is a prediction on twitter. we're watching norfolk, virginia, where mitt romney will be out in a few minutes to announce es chosen covers and paul ryan of wisconsin's first district as his vice president. the plan is to go to north carolina tomorrow, florida monday, and ohio on tuesday. we have not heard anything contrary. it sounds like that is still the plan with congressman ryan

be a member of the team now. let's head to our next call, north carolina. democrat,i would just like to ma comment about the election. they are not really sticking to the issues. president obama has released up to the things that he says he wanted to accomplish. he was sidetracked and road blocked by the republicans. i can say this much being 74- years-old, that i have always seen the use of the poor as a stepping stone to get to the top as far as finances are concerned. we are -- the poor people do the work and they reaped the benefits. once they get to the top, they do not want to reach back and

pulled the poor up with them. they just want to keep stepping higher and have them at the bottom struggling. there is a middle class and the wealthy, but i am speaking from the poor. there is a lot of poor people. minorities, latinos, whites, whatever you might call them. there is only one race on the face of the earth, and that is the human race. thank you. thank you host: pick a tweet -- host: we are looking at live images from virginia where we are awaiting mitt romney in just a few moments. a tweet -- host: we will be back after the announcement. we plan to listen to what will be set in virginia and then we will hear your reactions as time

permits. later on, we will go to the platform committee meeting of the democratic national convention. they will talk about their national platform and what direction they will be taking. that is all to come here on "washington journal." mike, independent line, new york. good morning. caller: i think it is good news. from what i understand, paul ryan is a conservative and a financial conservative. i would like to remind everybody out there of the politician a couple of years ago who was quoted as saying the government that governs the best cover is the least. paul ryan fits that bill. thank you. host: jan, republican, tulsa, oklahoma. hello. caller: i am doing pretty good.

i seem to fit a lot of thought categories that everybody is. i am 65. i make less than $7,000 per year grows. i am raising a grandson all by myself. the only help i got is food stamps and sort of rent control. it is set at a low rate. so the economy is extremely important to me. i had no idea who i was going to vote for. i am a registered republican, but i do not watch your show often. i watched it today and i saw several things and i think i know who i'm going to vote for. i think i'm going to vote for the republicans. it looks like they got a little bit of common sense and got somebody on the ticket that has

a family, so he is aware of what goes into day-to-day living. i know his income is way above mine, but he probably has to balance the checkbook, too. what struck me is he has a degree in business and economics. it seems to me that with an economic problem, that might be the right kind of person to choose to be in here. i like the fact that he is not a lawyer. [laughter] i also like the fact that i have never heard of him before. i liked the fact that i saw your little blurb where he was chairman of the budget committee. he sounds like he knew what he was talking about. maybe we should listen. host: important was this information to you? caller: i had no idea what this guy was. it is hard for me to live. i just know that. i know i do the best i can with what i am given.

just those little xbox, he sounded like a pretty smart, on the ball man. i was into it. i will probably vote for a the republicans. -- i will probably vote for the republicans. host: tennessee, good morning. caller: i was going to speak to the gentleman who was three callers back where he said people need to get off welfare and get jobs. i am an educated woman. i put my self through college. i graduated with the student loans. i would like to know where the jobs are. it seems as though his party shipping jobs overseas, upping the tax rate, voting against the equal pay act for women, where are those jobs? i am voting for president obama.

everybody -- the caller who just called before me says she will not vote for him and her situation seems to be the same as mine. i am a single mom. i am raising a son. the democrats are trying to help us out. they are not, you know, doing what the other party is doing. i just do not understand even if she votes for the vice president candidate, it is the president who will be the head of the ticket. why vote for a ticket just because of the vice president candidate when it is the president actually matters? it is mitt romney who is not showing his tax records, who has ship jobs overseas. he has done more for overseas jobs than he does in the u.s. that is what i did not understand. host: are talking about mitt romney's pick for vice president, congressman paul ryan. we are awaiting his

announcement in just a couple of minutes in norfolk, virginia. that is live on your screen. here is some information. he is a fifth generation wisconsin native serving his seventh term as a member of congress. he was elected at the age of 28. he is 32 right now. graduate from high school in wisconsin and has a degree in economics and political science from miami university in ohio. he is married and has children, a daughter, and two sense. he is the youngest of four children himself. he is a catholic. you are able to see his credentials from congress. he is the chairman of the house budget committee and he served in the u.s. house since 1999. we are asking you what you think about this pick. here is what one says -- host: mickey is in rockford, and

illinois. hello. caller: good morning. i think this is an intelligent pick for romney because first of all, he does not out trying romney. he has a similar financial education background, where he is a budget planner and somebody who can attack a budget that is in trouble. he has some favorability with the wisconsin' issues that have come up over the governor. they told us that -- he is not my favorite pick, of course, but for romney, it is

somebody that matches well with him. it will not be somebody so contrary to his beliefs. hopefully, that will help him get over the hump. i do not believe some of your callers have been forthright. the guy from marilyn said he was a conservative and then seek -- said -- the guy from maryland said he was a conservative and said he was going to vote for president obama. if you compare history with obama's passed record and his statements and where he was educated and his ideology -- itt: we're going to leave and go to norfolk where the governor is going to speak. "washington journ[video clip] >> it is a pleasure to be

governor of the most business friendly state. [cheers and applause] i want to say thank you for having us here today. this is the mother of presidents. 405 years ago, the greatest country on earth gave birth to the united states of america. it is great to be in the home of more veterans than any place in the world. [cheers and applause] the home of the greatest navy in the world. all of you who are veterans, raise your hand so we can say thank you. [cheers and applause]

if you understand it like mitt romney does that freedom is supposed to be free, the veterans keep as a free at great nation. [cheers and applause] i just want to say it is great to be here with a guy that i think was the greatest governor of the modern era. he will be the next greatest president. [cheers and applause] for your men and women in uniform, you have no better friend than the u.s. congress. please help these men get reelected. [cheers and applause] it is a treat to be with my right hand man, our great lieutenant governor. [cheers and applause]

he has done a great job creating jobs and rich faden -- in virginia, but we have some headlines in washington. it will be better if we have mitt romney. [cheers and applause] i am delighted to be here with my wife, the first lady, and my sons, my daughters. how about the national anthem? she did ok? [cheers and applause] i am so delighted to have our next president here today. his opponent has been here a little bit. seems like every time he comes, he makes a little news. he was here last weekend he said i want you to help me with this -- he said if i do not win virginia, i will not be president again. help him keep that promise. [cheers and applause]

a couple of months ago, he can to roanoke and he said something i cannot believe. he said if you are successful and a visitor, you did not build that. somebody else make that happen. >> boo! >> ladies and gentlemen, that shows why we need in a statement -- a new president because that statement tells you everything you need to know. he does not understand the american free enterprise system and the american dream. we need a change. [cheers and applause] let us suppose you were interviewing for a job 0, that is what the president is asking. you have your resùme and you are trying to tell the boss the american people that you want to get rehired. let us look at the president's

resùme it. how about jobs? we have 8% unemployment. we have the lowest number of entrepreneurs starting businesses. not so good, mr. president. when it cos to energy, his record of making it harder for a great industry to engage in fracking and disposing of nuclear materials, refusing to allow virginians to use their god-given natural resources off the coast of virginia to drill for oil and natural gas -- >> boo! >> when it comes to the debt, let us look at that record. the largest increase in the american national debt in the history of our country. 5.2 trillion dollars. all you young people here, you

are paying that bill. that is the record. no plan to get out of it. only a budget that gets us to 25 trillion dollars in debt by 2020 one1. if you got that -- 2021. if you have that resùme, you are fired. [cheers and applause] thank god we have a great choice. this election is about one thing. that is which candidate has the vision and the idea is to get the greatest country on earth out of debt and back to work. on the one hand, we have this obamavision of more entitlements and taxes and government as the way to prosperity. that has failed america for the last three and a half years. then, we have the gop, the great

opportunity party. [cheers and applause] we have that incredible reagan- from the enthusiastic station that recognizes the american dream -- rageh-romney enthusiastic vision. you can be anything you want in this great land. [cheers and applause] 100 years ago, poor farm boy from ireland left on a ship and landed in boston, massachusetts. that was my grandfather. he worked as a laborer in a glue factory. he never thought that 100 years later his grandson would end up with the same job as patrick henry and thomas jefferson. [cheers and applause] that is the united states of

america, the land of dreams and opportunities. [cheers and applause] being an average middle-class man, i am incredibly thrilled to be governor. that is the heart and soul of this campaign for mitt romney. doing things and putting policies in place that support and expand and offer hope and opportunities for our middle class families. governor romney has put forth a vision. five . plan to be able to put people back to work. promoting entrepreneurship. if you build it, you provide jobs and opportunities. [cheers and applause] to get our great country out of debt by balancing the budget within the next 8 years. he will have somebody to help him do that. to be able to get people to create the work force of the future, to be able to have a sustainable energy

future, this president has no plan. governor romney has and all of the above plan to use all of our red white and blue god-given natural resources to promote american energy independence. that will help jobs and opportunity for a long time. [cheers and applause] ladies and gentlemen, you know the issues and the ideas. on what to say above all of his policies, what really matters -- i want to say above all of his policies, what really matters is his heart and passion. the scriptures say with lack of vision, the people perish. with addition, the people prosper. one of the lonely is places anywhere is the inside of that oval office. when the cabinet members leave, the president has to have faith and know what they believe in and make the right decisions for the people of the united states. [cheers and applause]

that is what you get with mitt romney. he is a man of faith. a man of principle. a man who has been successful as governor. a man who has been successful in the private sector and running the olympics. he is a great family man. five kids. 18 grandchildren. he has been incredibly generous to people over the country and the world. he has an amazing passion and vision for the country. he has a deep and abiding love for america. what it stands for. the great american dream. ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the next president of the united states, governor romney. [cheers and applause] ♪

>> thank you. [cheers and applause] thank you so much, virginia. [cheers and applause] thank you. what a great governor you have. what a terrific man and a leader. way to go. [cheers and applause] >> mitt! mitt! mitt! mitt! mitt! >> thank you. [cheers and applause] it is great to be back in

virginia and here in norfolk. your city's beauty is matched only by its proud heritage. thank you, virginia. [cheers and applause] today, we take another step forward in helping restore the promise of america. we move forward in this campaign and on to help lead the nation to better days and it is an honor to announce my running mate and the next vice-president of the u.s., paul ryan. [cheers and applause] his leadership begins with character and values. he is a man of tremendous character. he wasfather died when

in high school. that forced him to grow up earlier than any young man should. he did. with the help of his devoted mother, his brothers and sisters, and a supportive community. as he did, he internalized the virtues and hard-working ethics of the midwest. paul ryan works in washington, but his beliefs remain firmly rooted in wisconsin. [cheers and applause] he is a person of great steadiness, whose integrity is unquestioned, and whose word is good. his upbringing of its obvious and how he has conducted himself. including his leadership in washington. in a city that is far too often characterized by padding his in the personal attacks, paul ryan is a shining star. he does not demonize his opponents. honorable people can have honest differences and he appeals to the better angels of our nature,

the people in the other party who might disagree. i do not know of anyone who does not respect his character and judgment. [cheers and applause] he has been in public life for all the right reasons. not to advance his personal ambition, but to advance the ideals of freedom and justice and to increase opportunity and prosperity to the people of every class and faith, every age, and ethnic background. a faithful catholic, paul believes in though words and dignity of every human life. -- paul believes in the worth and dignity of every human life. [cheers and applause] with energy, and vision, paul ryan has become an intellectual leader of the republican party. he understands the fiscal

challenges facing america. our exploding deficits and crushing debt. the fiscal catastrophe that awaits us if we do not change course. he combines a profound sense of responsibility with an unbounded optimism in america's future in understanding of all the wonderful things the american people can do. he also combines firm principles with the practical mess -- particle concern for getting things done. he has never been content to simply curse the darkness. he would rather light candles. throughout his legislative career, he has shown the ability to work with members of both parties to find common ground on some of the hardest issues confronting the american people. together, we are beginning on a journey that will take us to every corner of america. we are offering a positive governing agenda that will lead to economic growth, widespread

prosperity, and that will improve the lives of our fellow citizens. [cheers and applause] our plan to strengthen the middle class will get america back to work and get our country back. [cheers and applause] we offer solutions that are bold, specific, and achievable. we offer our commitment to help create 12 million new jobs and to bring better take-home pay to middle-class families. [cheers and applause] to strengthen the middle class, we will provide our workers and children with the skills to succeed. we will cut the deficit, have a trade that works for america, and champion small-business.

finally, we will unleash our energy resources to achieve energy independence. [cheers and applause] we will help care for those who cannot care for themselves and we will return work to welfare. [cheers and applause] as poverty has risen to historic and tragic levels, with nearly one out of six americans now having fallen into poverty, we will act to bring these families into the middle class. unlike the president who has cut medicare funding by $700 billion, we will preserve and protect medicare and social security. [cheers and applause]

under the current president, health care has only become more expensive. we will reform health care so more americans have access to affordable health care and we will get that started by repealing obamacare. [cheers and applause] at a time when the president's campaign is taking american politics to new lows, we will do something very differently. we will talk about aspirations and american ideals. about bringing people together to solve the problems facing our nation. when that message wins in america, it will be a victory for every american. today is a good day for america and there are better days ahead. [cheers and applause]

doing me in welcoming the next president of the u.s. -- vice- president of the u.s., paul ryan. [cheers and applause] ♪

[cheers and applause] >> hey. [cheers and applause] >> every now and then, i am known to make a mistake.

i did not make a mistake with this guy. he will be the next vice president of the united states. [cheers and applause] >> thank you. [cheers and applause] i am deeply honored and excited to do in new as your running mate. -- to join you as your running mate. [cheers and applause] i want to tell you about mitt romney. mitt romney is a leader with the skills and character that our country needs at this crucial time in its history.

[cheers and applause] following four years of failed leadership, the hopes of our country are growing dim. they need someone to revive them. governor romney is the man for the job. [cheers and applause] he and i share one commitment. we will restore the greatness of this country. [cheers and applause] i want you to meet my family. this is my wife. [cheers and applause] my daughter. our sons. [cheers and applause]

i am surrounded by the people i love. i love you, too. [laughter] i have been asked by governor romney to serve the country that i love. [cheers and applause] wisconsin is where i was born and raised. i never really left. it is our home now. for the last 14 years, i have proudly represented wisconsin in congress. [cheers and applause] there, i have focused on solving the problems that confront our country. turning ideas into action and action into solutions. i am committed in heart and mind to putting that experience to work in a romney administration.

[cheers and applause] this is a crucial moment in the life of our nation. it is absolutely vital that we select the right man to lead america back to prosperity and greatness. [cheers and applause] that man is standing right next to me. his name is mitt romney. he will be the next president of the united states of america. [cheers and applause] my dad died when i was young. he was a good man. there are a couple of things that have always stuck with me. he would say, a son, you are either the problem or part of the solution. incredibly, president obama has become part of the problem and mitt romney is the solution. [cheers and applause]

the other thing my dad would always say is that every generation of americans leave their children better off. that is the american legacy. sadly, for the first time in our history, we are on a path which will undo that legacy. that is why we need new leadership to become part of the solution. [cheers and applause] it is our duty to save the american dream for our children and theirs. [cheers and applause]

i believe there is no person in america who is better prepared because of his experience, because of the principles he holds, and because of his achievements in some any different arenas. [cheers and applause] let me say a word about the man mitt romney is about to replace. [laughter] [cheers and applause] no one disputes that president obama inherited a difficult situation. in his first couple of years, with his party in control of washington, he passed nearly every item on his agenda. that did not make things better. in fact, we find ourselves in a nation facing debt, doubts, and

despair. this is the worst economic recovery in 70 years. unemployment has been above 8% for over three years, the longest since the great depression. families are hurting. we had the largest deficit and the biggest federal government since world war ii. nearly one out of every six americans are in poverty. the worst rate in a generation. moms and dads are struggling to make ends meet. household incomes have dropped more than $4,000 over the past four years. >> boo! >> whatever the explanation, whatever the excuse is, this is a record of failure. [cheers and applause] president obama and to many like him in washington have been

refusing to make difficult decisions because they are worried about the next election more so than the next generation. [cheers and applause] we might have been able to get away with that before, but not now. we are in a different and dangerous moment. we are running out of time. we cannot afford four more years of this. [cheers and applause] politicians from both parties have made and he promises, which will soon become broken promises with painful consequences if we fail to act now. [cheers and applause] i represent a part of america that includes inner-city, rural

areas, suburbs, and factory towns. over the years, i have seen and heard from a lot of families. from a lot of those who are running small businesses and from people who are in need. what i have heard lately is what troubles me the most. there is something different in their voice. in their words. what i hear from them are diminished dreams. it lowered expectations. uncertain futures. i hear some people say this is just the new normal. >> no! >> higher unemployment, declining incomes, and crushing debt is not a new normal. [cheers and applause] it is the result of misguided policies in and next january, our economy will be coming back with the romney plan for a stronger middle-class that will

deliver jobs and higher income for americans. [cheers and applause] america is on the wrong track. mitt romney and i will take the right steps in the right time to get us back on the right track. [cheers and applause] i believe that my record of getting things done in congress will be very helpful complement's to governor romney's private sector success outside of washington. [cheers and applause] i have worked closely with republicans and democrats to a dance and agenda of economic growth, fiscal discipline, and job creation. i am proud to stand with a man who understands what it takes to

foster job creation in our economy. someone who knows from experience that if you have a small business, you did build that. [cheers and applause] at bain capital, he launched a new businesses and turn around failing ones. companies like staples, bright horizons, a sports authority. mitt romney created jobs. he showed he knows how a free economy works. at the olympics, he took a failing enterprise and made it the pride of our entire nation. [cheers and applause] as governor of massachusetts, he worked with democrats and

republicans to balance the budget without increasing taxes, lower unemployment, increased income and improved people's lives. [cheers and applause] in all of these things, mitt romney has shown himself to be a man of achievement, excellence, and integrity. [cheers and applause] my wife and i, my children, america is a place where if you work hard and play by the rules, you can get ahead. [cheers and applause] we look at success with pride, not reason men. we know -- [cheers and applause]

we know that as more americans work hard, take risks, secedsuc, our communities will benefit and lives will be uplifted and improved. [cheers and applause] america is more than just a place. america is an idea. it is the only country founded on an idea. our rights come from nature and god, not from government. [cheers and applause] that is who we are.

that is how we built this country. that is who we are. [cheers and applause] >> usa! usa! usa! >> that is what made us great. that is our founding. we promise equal opportunities, not equal outcomes. [cheers and applause] this idea was founded on the principles of liberty, freedom, free enterprise, self- determination, and government by consent of the government. [cheers and applause] this idea is under assault. we have the critical decision to

make as a nation. we are on an unsustainable path that is robbing america of our freedom and security. it does not have to be this way. the commitment we make to you is this -- we will leave it. -- lead. [cheers and applause] we will not blame others, we will take responsibility. [cheers and applause] we will not replace our fine -- founding principles, we will reapply them. [cheers and applause]

we will honor you, our fellow citizens. we will give you the rights and opportunities to make the choice. what kind of country do we want to have? what kind of people do we want to be? we can turn this thing around. [cheers and applause] weekend. real solutions can be delivered. it will take leadership. and the courage to tell you the truth. in [cheers and applause]

mitt romney is this kind of leader. i am excited for what lies ahead. i am thrilled to be part of the american's comeback team. we will unite america and get this done. thank you. [cheers and applause] thank you. thank you. ♪

host: mitt romney announcing his vice-presidential pick, congressman paul ryan. live images from virginia. if he would like to tell us what you think about this decision, here are the numbers to call. republicans, 202-737-0002 democrats, 202-737-0001. independents, 202-628-0205.

here is a tweeted -- host: he is using the 202-628- romney-ryan2012. let us go to denver, colorado. caller: brian. they came out to the theme of "air force one." should that be the best idea that you give to the american people? that was my thought. host: here is how the obama campaign is reacting to the news. this is a release that just came out this morning from chicago. obama for american campaign manager released the following statement in response to mitt romney taking congressman ryan.

mitt romney has chosen a leader of the house republicans who shares his commitment with a flawed. that new budget and tax cuts for the wealthy while placing greater burdens on the middle class will deliver strong greek economy. the architect of the radical republican house budget proposed an additional quarter million dollar tax cut for millionaires and deep cuts in education from head start to college age. now, we have a caller on our democrat's line. good morning. caller: good morning. i am calling about a comment from on just made about work to welfare. those were his words. work to welfare. that is what i see in his platform. when they get through bringing the wages of american people down so far that they cannot make a living and would have to get two jobs or go from work to welfare --

the rule and the unions -- virulent the unions -- they ruined the unions. they have no part with the corporation people getting 400 times what the normal person makes. if your neighbor makes two times what you may, we have a problem. it will be worked to welfare. host: what do you think about the decision to choose paul ryan as mitt romney's running mate? what do you think about the rollout we just saw? next up is a republican in new jersey. how are you feeling? caller: wonderful. i am excited for the future of the u.s. everybody needs to put their listening years on. check out the facts. do not just be led around like a cow with a belt.

we have an opportunity to get the u.s. back on track where we should be and this is for black, white, brown, green, and yellow. we need to get busy and put our listening years on and start to do the right thing. we have had enough of a last almost four years. it has been the worst thing. i was hopeful that obama would bring things around, but he has misled the u.s. i pray to god that we will get back on track. thank you so much. host: we first got indication the campaign would announce the vice presidential pick today and over night, news came out. what about the other men and women who were being feted in consider publicly to the vice presidential candidates? here is what marco rubio has to say.

some were eager to see him on that ticket. he tweeted -- host: he is referring to the app of the romney campaign. it did work. people who downloaded it to their devices did get notification that congressman ryan was the choice. atlanta, georgia. steve, independent caller. caller: good morning. thank you for taking my call. i just wanted to comment. i am a department of defense ourtract employee and w program was funded through 2015. now facing sequestration, we have not been funded even through 2012. our 2011 money has run out.

what i would like to say is god bless mr. romney and mr. ryan. best wishes for their quest, but what the country needs now is competent leadership. it is time to reduce the rhetoric, pulled the plug on the-negativity come and get back to putting the best interest of the professionals and the folks that are devoted. i am 61. i have devoted my entire life to working with the government, as did my father in the johnson administration. i am so discouraged and upset about the roster that we are bringing on both sides. as an independent, i am very

discouraged about where we are and if we do not find a plan to get back to the kind of responsibility that we had during the 1950's and 1960's under mr. eisenhower where we have presidential candidates, not dispensers of rhetoric, then we will not succeed. i do not care what anybody says. i do not care what their agenda is. we need competency in washington. thank you for taking my call. host: in just a couple of minutes, we are heading to the platform committee meeting of the democratic national convention in detroit, michigan at the marriott renaissance center. the platform committee is being cheered by the new work new jersey mayor, cory booker. we will be going to that in just a couple of moments. if you want to see the whole thing uninterrupted, find it online at c-span.org.

for a couple of moments, we are taking your calls and responses to the announcements mitt romney made moments ago saying that congressman paul ryan is his pick to run alongside him for president and vice president. a tweet -- host: mitt romney came on and said he had made an error and men to call and the next vice president of the u.s. george, what did you think about that decision? caller: thank you for taking my call. i have watched c-span quite a lot and i could not think of a better candidate for romney to pick to lose with an paul ryan. romney decided to make the decision to lead detroit failed. it has been prosperous since then.

paul ryan is doing the same thing with medicaid health care. he wants people to pay for their own surgeries and what not. i do not think either one will win. based on their history and how they feel about that, and middle-class people, they are not actually going to be for the middle class. they just want to talk a good game. host: john in virginia. good morning. caller: good morning. thank you for taking my call. i think paul ryan is a great guy, but in reality, remember when he put everything on the table? the first person to attack paul ryan was newt gingrich about his radical agenda that he has. what i have seen today actually is barack obama all wins this election automatically because

paul ryan will be attacked by the media. he will be attacked by the democrats. there'll be a tax coming from left and right. there is no way romney can handle the attacks waiting for the democrats. i am a black republican. republican party -- if they do not put their act together because this is not a reagan republican. this is a different republican. we are attacking everybody who compromises anything. that is not the republican way. i am telling you, if we do not act better, we will lose the senate and house. there will be disaster waiting for this republicans. i think people can clap or say he is smart, but we have a problem as the republicans. there are a lot of republicans who are not happy with paul ryan.

host: we have been looking at images of mitt romney and congressman paul ryan in norfolk, virginia. they made their announcement in from of the uss wisconsin. next up is an independent in austin, texas. good morning. caller: what a perfect setting with the battleship in the background, demonstrating their lopsided funding for the war machine. the romneyhood kicks into gear with a guy who supports the rich by taking from the poor. good catholic boys do not hide dothe nuns -- from the nuns. they want an audience with this fellow from wisconsin. they claimed the budget plan is unchristian. good catholic boys do